The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 120 - You Already Take Up My Heart, Why Did You Need To Be The Sky?

Chapter 120: Chapter 120 - You Already Take Up My Heart, Why Did You Need To Be The Sky?

The much older researcher had just been proven wrong about young Qatrand, but unlike his husband... he was quite fine with that. Rather than sulk and get defensive, he could respond like an adult.

"I’m impressed you picked up on that so quickly. You seem to have a very good grasp of sigil theory. I assure you we also know to triple check every inch of sigil work after every containment breach."

The tall young ’swordsman’ - clearly muscular underneath the well fitting black blazer - rested a hand on the hilt of her heavy sword to guide it from striking the forest floor while squatting down. Her black hair was still secured at the base of her neck... and she rather appreciated the constraint.

Always wearing the long hair unbound outside of training for the sake of ’appearances’ seemed even sillier now that she tried it! A small idea about how to make the style both useful and appealing to her cute wife started to form.

’I’ll have to talk to El about it. I’m sure she’ll think it’s a good idea.’

Despite her attention drifting away from their conversation and to the memories of soft smiles underneath a pair of mint eyes... Qat was able to locate a final thing to comment on about the work around her.

"The way you’ve structured some of these sigils reminds me of the defensive rituals I’ve studied. It’s clever - how they’ve been adapted for this unique situation. Are they actually holding up under the constant gravitational stress?"

When she stood back up and looked behind her, the husband of Elua’s short term mentor at the Coiled Serpent Guild was stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting comparison. Your familiarity with what defensive rituals actually look like is... unexpected, but certainly relevant here. To answer, we’ve had some strain in the northwest because there is a higher amount of essence coming from a source we’ve yet to discover. Perhaps you’d like to take a closer look at our stability data?"

The Yecine nodded with growing satisfaction in her eyes. She’d already lost the desire to reprimand him for his earlier behavior. Primarily because more than half of her thoughts now revolved on *eventually*, by which she felt meant as soon as possible, talking to El about everything she saw her fellow Guild members working on.

It wasn’t often that she would get to blather on about an interesting day to the girl... and she couldn’t wait to get back and do it in person. It was much better than writing letters back, even if she adored receiving them.

’It never feels like I have enough to say, but also like I’m never saying enough.’

When they moved towards a far away research tent - seemingly placed to be well out of range of any potential disasters and even starting to be lined with defensive patterns of its own - Qatrand felt another twinge of guilt. This time, it was for revealing so much of her own knowledge... that she knew she only gained through circumstances related to her wife’s special qualities. It was essentially the same as tossing the burden on Elua.

’If people start asking questions, I’ll have no choice but to either be silent or blame it on my frequent conversations with her. Neither of those sound good or feel like it will make them stop searching for the answer. El... I hope you’ll understand.’

The opportunity to contribute meaningfully in some way to the researcher’s safety - to perhaps protect others from the dangers of Gravity, her very own Element - outweighed her reservations. She only hoped that she would be able to always recognize when the pull she felt to protect others put the young girl she loved in too much danger.

---

The day had fully fallen to night by the time she had stopped talking to the man. It was quickly apparent to both of them that, while her insight into the variety of essence was valuable, there was enough that she did not know that kept their dialogue from bearing too much fruit.

Moving out to the furthest camp, the Yecine rolled her shoulders to work out the tension from a day of intense discussions and new observations. The Ironclad Order area buzzed with short conversations as members set up their tents after learning that their orders were keeping them overnight.

"Hey, Qatrand! Give us a hand with this, will you?"

A rowdy voice called out. The raven-haired swordswoman turned to see a group of cultivators struggling with a particularly stubborn looking tent pole - or at least they were making it appear that way. She approached with movements that were as work-oriented as always.

"Of course. What seems to be the problem?"

"This damned pole won’t stay put. It’s like it’s got a mind of its own!"

One of the men complained as Qat examined the situation, noting the slight slope of the ground and the particular tensions and folds in the fabric they were trying to erect. With well practiced ease from her period in the Continental Army, she adjusted the angle of the pole and secured it firmly before pointing and ordering for a few adjustments to the guylines.

Some of the younger members jumped-to almost before they realized they were accepting directions as if she was an older senior.

"There. It should hold now."

One of the older men chuckled awkwardly.

"Thanks. You’re always so precise with these things."

"Come on, join us for some grub. I saw you’ve been cooped up with those *spiritualists* all day."

The one who had originally called her over offered while putting down the cultivation focus of the other guild. The Yecine hesitated to answer. Her inclination to maintain a professional distance battled against the moment of camaraderie offered...and so too did her desire to warn him not to talk bad about ally Guilds fight with her instinct to brag about the benefits of spirit that her El extolled!

"I appreciate the offer, but I should review my notes from today’s observations for a report I need to make."

In the end, she chose neither... and she even tried to insinuate that she had a different mission - even if this one was self-imposed. One of the men clapped her playfully on the back, startled at the dense feeling the ’young man’ held

"All work and no play, eh? You’re making the rest of us look bad!"

The Order member’s last line contained a twinge of *actual* envy for whatever Yecine training regimens created the upper back and shoulders of his peer.

"Well, someone has to uphold the Guild’s standards. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them you couldn’t figure out a tent. That wouldn’t look good for any of us."

A thin smile spread over the teenager’s lips and the group crowed in good-natured laughter. A familiar pang struck Qat. Their relaxed demeanors were so different from her own more reserved nature. Even just before, she had to think to herself how El might joke around in order to respond so effectively.

She couldn’t help but feel warmed by their attempts at inclusion and their laughs... and began to wonder if this was why her wife was both sweet and mischievous more than any other two things.

’Well, she’s also smart, cute, devoted, strong, cute, supportive, vulnerable, cute, desirous...’

While she found her thoughts being pulled strongly to the girl she’d left on that silvery mountain coastline, one of the Order members pressed a bowl of simple stew into her hands. With a quick glance, she understood it had been cooked on their fire and was probably the main reason they were slower with their tent than others.

"At least grab some food before you bury yourself in work."

"Thank you. I’ll eat while I work."

The Yecine nodded, accepting the meal with an unusual smile on ’his’ face that none of them could possibly know was caused by thinking her wife should put feeding herself as high of a priority as them. She walked away and their lively banter continued without her presence. Eventually, even that much faded into the background of the surrounding camp.

Qatrand found a quiet spot at the edge and settled down with her back against a tree. Her sword was unbelted and shifted onto her lap, the luminescent crystal attached to it working like candlelight for her mealtime. The weight of her gifted blade, itself decorated with another gift, was a comfort as she balanced the bowl in one hand.

Before she could finish drinking the stew, her gaze drifted to the starry sky above. She understood at once that her thoughts would never *not* include Elua er Goltbred when the sight of the cosmos around her touched her vision. The nights from now to eternity, even apart, would include each other.

’So that’s why they had such a tradition back then. How incredibly... wise.’

While knowing it intellectually would happen the moment she decided to accept the mission immediately, the realization that this was their first night apart as a married couple started to settle in. A feeling grew heavier and heavier in her chest that she thought might be similar to ’missing’ someone... but much more powerful.

Absently, her hand drifted to place a palm over her chest. She could feel the faint intensity of Elua’s spirit fragment even without doing anything, but the physical movement made it clearer to focus. She wasn’t as good as the illusionist at using her spiritual sense by far.

The thing that existed in that space occupied by her corporeal heart had been a bundle of wonder and emotion even before the wedding. Now, it also stirred up a lot of other feelings.

How would she know how to balance the demands of her Guild with the needs of a family? Her wife had given her blessing to prioritize work this time, but children could do no such thing. They only lived the early part of their lives with the hand they were dealt.

Her duty had always felt clear. Qat had even been sure her path to being an heir was set by her, this time. But now...